Pitt Six: Syracuse offense collapses in 41-13 loss to undefeated ACC rival

Syracuse Football suffered its worst loss of the season to No. 19 Pittsburgh, 41-13. Though its offense was ranked 10th in scoring in the country, the Panther’s defense crushed the Orange.  Pitt intercepted quarterback Kyle McCord five times, and returned three for touchdowns to put Syracuse in a deep hole. The Orange showed some life in the second half, scoring two touchdowns, but inconsistent effort on the offensive line prevented the team from building any momentum. The Orange drop to 5-2 on the season and 2-2 in the ACC.

Here’s what the loss means for the Orange:

McCord’s draft stock:

According to 247sports.com, McCord was the No. 8-ranked quarterback when he entered college. This season, he has finally lived up to that expectation with his success through the first six games.

Pitt presented the best defense he faced all season, but McCord failed to step up in the big moments. Rasheem Biles read McCord on the first interception and jumped in front of Trebor Pena to make the easy pick.

McCord’s inconsistent decision-making was evident tonight. Though not every interception was his fault, he did finish with a season-low completion percentage and passing yards.

This was a night that McCord could have shown he could succeed against a good defense and help his draft stock. Teams will likely drop McCord down on their draft boards unless he leads the team to a big win over Miami to end the season.

Offensive line struggles

The offensive line’s play has been inconsistent at best throughout the season. The receivers have been able to create separation off the line, giving McCord quick options to avoid sacks.

On the other hand, the line performed poorly in every aspect tonight. The line had no push to create any room for the run game. LeQuint Allen and fellow running back Yasin Willis combined for 34 yards on 18 rushes while consistently getting tackled behind the line of scrimmage. 

Meanwhile, Pitt’s defensive line prevented McCord from getting into any sort of groove. The Panthers racked up four sacks and eight quarterback hits. McCord made several passes while pulled to the ground to avoid even more sacks. 

Even on the few drives when the offense got into the red zone, the line made mistakes that set the team back. The officials called for six penalties on the offensive line that cost the Orange 40 yards. 

The coaching staff will need to address the offensive line in the off-season. Coach Fran Brown was praised for the recruiting he did this past season, but the offensive line did not get enough attention. Whether through the transfer portal or by bringing in freshmen, the Orange must improve its depth on the line.

Marlowe Wax returns

Believe it or not, the day started with positive news, with linebacker Marlowe Wax Jr. returning to the field. The senior had not played a game since suffering a lower-body injury in the season opener against Ohio.

Wax made an impact when the game was still within reach. He recorded Syracuse’s only sack in the second quarter. He then pressured Pitt quarterback Eli Holstein into an interception, but he was called for a very questionable roughing of the passer.

Earlier in the week, Brown discussed the potential of redshirting Wax and allowing him to return for another season. The NCAA allows players to play in a maximum of four games before becoming ineligible to redshirt. With the team no longer in playoff contention, does he decide to return and run it back next season?

If Wax is considering an NFL future, he may decide to play the rest of the season in hopes of improving his draft stock.

Season going forward

The Orange’s playoff chances were already on shaky ground with a bad loss against Stanford. With a second loss, those chances are now zero. But the season is not a waste quite yet. There are plenty of reasons to keep competing.

One more win would make this team bowl-eligible for the third season in a row. If Syracuse goes 5-1 to end the season, it would be the first time since 2018 that the team finishes with at least 10 wins.

With the last game coming against undefeated No. 7 Miami, Brown should prepare his team to play the spoiler role and potentially ruin the Hurricanes’ chances at the ACC championship and the College Football Playoffs.